Ore-concentration process



March 25 1924.

w. A. sqo'r'r ORE coucnm'uuon PROCESS Original Filed Aug. 17 1917 jkllerzfa: ,g

Reissue Mar. 25, 1924.

UNITED STATES I as. 15,802 PATENT 0 Pics.

I WALTER A. SCOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR TO MINERALS SEPARATION NORTH AIEBICAN CORPORATION, A CORPORATION 01 IABYLAND.

ORE-CONCENTRATION PROCESS.

Original Io. 1,248,865, dated November 18, 1917, Serial 10. 188,868, filed August 17, 1017. Application for reissue filed February 1, 1919. Serial Io. 274,527.

To all whomitma concern:

Be it known tmt I, \VALTER A. Scorr. a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Concentration Processes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved flotation process. In the flotation process as previously practised, as is well known, certain reagents or modifying agents generally termed oils, although many of such substances are not oils, are added toa freely flowin ore pulp whereupon the introduction 0% air 01 some other gas into the ulp gives rise to the formation of bubbles which collect the desired mineral, generally metalliferous sulfids, and reject the gangue. The modifying agents used for this purpose comprise a rent variety of oils, animal, vegetable an mineral oils, coal and wood tar and derivatives thereof, various alcohols, h droxyl com ounds and other substances, all of which refer to herein, for the sake of brevity, as oils. Air, of course, isthe most available gas and the one generally used, but in referring to air herein I include all ases which have a similar action.

eretofore the air necessar ation of the process has been introduce into the ore'pulp either by mechanical itation which has the efl'ect of beating in tfiie air from the atmosphere, or by introducing air into the pulp through a porous medium forming part of the vessel in which the.

pulp is contained. Detailed explanation of the flotation process as heretofore practised is unnecessary in view of the fact that the process is widely known and described in many patents and ublications.

have ascertained hat the oil performs its principal, if not its only, function in the film surrounding the air bubbles and my invention consists inintroducing the oil in such manner that it-is supplied directly to v the bubble. films without the :necessity of disseminating the oil through the entire body of ore pulp. My invent- 11 consists in using a volatile oil, impregn ting the air with the gasified volatile oil, and introducing the gaseous mixture of air and oil into the pulp whereu on suflicient of the oil collccts in the bubb e films to efiect the desired cross-sectional view of inthe 0 ercontaining some volatile oil and I re resent function. When operating according to my invention the necessity of mechanical agitation for the pn of mixing the oil with the entire bo y of ore pulp is dispensed with and the amount of oil necessary for the purpose is reatl diminished in quantit by reason o the act that the 011 is app led directly to the bubble films where it is needed, without the necessity of distributi the oil throughout the body of the ore pu p in order to accomplish that pur ose. e drawing forming part of this application is a diagrammatic representation of means of applying my invention, and is a an apparatus des gned for applying my invention by introducing the gaseous mixture of air and oil through a porous medium into the pulp.

se] A and overflowing into the launders B.

E is a. porous medium s ds'ome distance above the bottom of t e vessel A, this porous medium being composed of several {ers of canvas or other fabric or of some 0t er porous medium such as unglazed porcelain, or other substances. 1 Between the porous medium E and the bottom of the vessel. A there is anair space F into which air under pressure is introduced through the pipe G. The air pressure in the space F is suflicient to support the head of pul in the vessel A and to force the air througli the pores of the medium 'E, H is a vessel a steam coil for heating the same, i sary. j

In operation the air supplied through the inlet ipe G becomes unpre ated with asi modifyiilig agent whici vaporizes mm the vessel and thekmigture of air and gasified oil penetrates permeable ,medium E and rises as bubble rough the ul C. The effect of this is to form the ub le column D above the pul the bub- 1 bles forming the bubble column having collected the metalliferous mineral during their passage through the pulp and subsequently beifi oyerflowed with the mineral into the l u ers "B; The bubbles collected in the launders B may be broken down by any suitable means,:as by a spr'a of .'water and the precipitated mineral co lected as concentrate. The concentrate so collected may, as customary, be retreated to further puri it, if necessary.

lVhile I have showncertain specific means for eflecti n the mixture of ore with gasiiied oil, it will obvious that my invention is not restricted to the specific means shown, nor is my invention restricted to the use of any Iparticular volatile oil. A variety of sultale substances are volatile and many others such as coal tar, and the coal tar products contain certain volatile constituents; a

What I claim is:

"1. An ore concentration process com rising the operations of vaporizing a m ifying agent and forming a mixture thereof with air, introducing said mixture through a fine texture orous medium into an ore pulp and forming bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise throu h the pulp, causing said mineral-bearing bu bles to form a column of bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the up- -per part: ofthe bubble column from the remainder'of the ore. v

2- An ore concentration process cofuprising the'operations of vaporizing a modifying agent and forming a mixture thereof with air free from modifyin agent in the liquid'state, introducing sai mixture into an ore pulp in the form of bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as'said bubbles use three h the pulp, causi said mineral-bearing Eubbles to form a co umn of bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried b the bubbles in the upper art of the bubb e column from the remain er of the ore.

3. An ore concentration process com rising the operations of vaporizing a m ifying agent and formin i a mixture thereof with air free from m ifying a ent in the liquid state, introducing sai mixture through a porous jmedium into an ore pulp and forming bubbles to which i mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise through the pulp, causing'said mineral-bearing'bflbblesto form a'column oi:

bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the upper part of the bubble column from the remainder of the ore.

4. An :ore concentration process com rising the operations of vaporizin a ,mo ifying agent and forming a iquid rec mixture thereof-With air, introducing said mixture into an ore pulp under pressure not substantially greater than that necessary to sustain the ore.

5. An ore concentration process comprising the operations of vaporizing a modifying agent and forming a mixture thereof with air, introducing said mixture through a fine texture porous medium into an ore pulp I under pressure not substantially greater than that necessary to sustain the ydrostatic head of the pulp and to overcome the resistance of the porous medium to the passa e of the gaseous mixture thus forming Eubbles which are impelled upwardly through the pulp by their buoyancy only and to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere, causing said mineralbearing bubbles to form a column of bubbles above the pul and se arating the min-v eral carried by t e bubb es in the upper art of the bubble column from the remainer of the ore.

6. An ore concentration process comprising the o erations of exposing a body of liquid modi ying. agent having a relatively large exposed surface to a current of air thereby vaporizing part of said agent, introducing the mixture of air and vaporized modifying agent so formed free from any of such agent in li uid form into an ore pulp in the form 0f l)l1bbleS to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise through the pulp, causing said mineralbearing bubbles to form a column of-bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried b the bubbles in the upper part of the hub 1e coldmn from the remainder of the ore.

-7. An ore concentration process comprising the o rations of exposing a relatively large sur ace of a liquid modifying agent containin a volatile constituent to a current of air thereby vaporizing part of said agent, introducin the mixture of air and vaporized modifying agent so formed free from any of such agent in liquid form into an ore pul in the form of bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise through the pul causing said mineral bearing bubbles to orm a column of bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the upper part of the bubble column from the remainder of the ore.

8.- An, ore concentration process comprising the operations of exposing a relatively large surface of heated liqu'i modifying agent to a current of air therrny vaporizing part of said agent. introducing the mixture of air and vafporizcd modifying agent so formed free rom any of such agent in liquid form into an ore pulp in the form of bubbles to which certain mineral parti 0105 in th ore adhere as said bubbles rise through the pulp, causing said mineralbearing bubbles to form a column of bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the upper part of the bubble column from the remainder of the ore.

- 9. An ore concentration process comprising the operations of exposing a body of heated li uid modifying agent having a relativel arge exposed surface containing a volati e constituent to a current of air thereby va rizing part of said agent, introducing t e mixture of air and vaporized modifying agent so formed free from any of such agent in liquid form into an ore pulp in the form of bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise throu h the pulp, causing said mineral-bearing ubbles to form a column of bubbles above the pul arating the mineral carried by tlie bubbles in the upper part of the bubble column from the remainderof the ore.

10. An ore concentration process comprising the operations of introducing a mixture of a non-frothing gas and a frothing agent in the form of va )or into an ore pulp and forming fine bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles pass through the pulp, causing said mineral-bearing bubbles to form a froth above the pulp and separating mineral carried by the bubbles in the froth from the remainder of the ore.

11. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixin the powdered ore with water to form a pulp, introducing into the pulp simultaneously 'a large number of minute lbbles of a non-trothing gas carrying a frothing agent in gaseous form, al-

lowing the bubbles to rise to the surface,

of the ulp to form a froth, and separating mineral carried by the froth from the remainder of the ore.

12. An ore concentration process comprising the operations of introducing a nonfrothing gas carrying a frothing agent in gaseous form into an ore pulp and forming fine bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles pass through the pul i, causing said mineral-bearing bubbles to orm a froth above the pulp and separating mineral carried by the ubbles in the froth from the remainder of the are.

13. The process of concentrating ores which consists in mixing the powdered ore with water to form a ulp, introducing into the pulp simultaneous y a large number of and sep- -of non-frothing gas minute bubbles of a non-frothing gas carryi ing a frothing agent in the form of vapor,

allowing the bubbles to rise to the surface of the pulp to form a froth, and separating mineral carried by the froth from the remainder of the ore.

14. An ore concentration process comprisingthe operations of introducing a mixture of non-frothing gas and 'frothing agent in 'vapor form through a fine texture porous medium into an ore pulp and forming bubbles to which certain mineral articles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise throu h the pulp, causing said mineral-bearing bu bbles to form a column of bubbles above the pa] and separating the mineral carried by the ubbles 1n the upper part of the bubble column from the remainder of the ore.

15. An ore concentration process comprising the'operations of introducing a mixture of non-frothin' gas and a frothing agent in gaseous form t rough a orous medium into an ore pulp from beneat and forming bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles rise through the pulfp, causing said mineral bearin bubbles to orm a froth above the pulp and se arating the mineral carried by the bubbles 1n the froth from the remainder of the ore.

16. An ore concentration rocess comprising the operations of intr ucing a mixture and a frothin agent in vapor form into an ore pulp an forming fine bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles pass through the pulp, ing bubbles to form a colunm of bubbles above the pulp and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the upper part of the bubble column from the remainder of the 17. The rocess' of, concentratin ores which includes the o erations of intr ucing a mixture of a nonrothing gas and a frothing agent in gaseous form into an ore pul in the substantial absence of liquid oil, an forming fine bubbles to which certain mineral particles in the ore adhere as said bubbles pass through the pulp, causing said mineral bearing bubbles to form a froth above the pulp and separating the-mineral carried by the bubbles 1n the froth from the remainder of the ore.

18. An ore concentratin process includin the operations of intro uc'n into an ore pu p fine bubbles of carbui-ette air to form a froth and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the froth from the remainder of the ore.

19. An ore concentratin rocess includi the operations of int ucing into an ore p p fine bubbles of air to form a froth and separating the mineral carried by the hubbles in the froth from the remainder of the ore, and which further includes the use of a causing said mineral bearion Ill

readily condensable hydrocarbon gas mixed with the air prior to its introduction.

20. An ore concentrating process includi the o erations of bringing into an ore 'l p p fine bubbles of air to form a froth and separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the froth from the remainder of the ore, and which further includes the use of a readily condensable hydrocarbon gns mixed ll'lwith the air prior to its introduction into a the pulp.

21. An ore concentrating process includingthe operations of introducing into an ore pu p fine bubbles of air to form efroth and mp0s separating the mineral carried by the bubbles in the froth and which-further includes the use of oil vapor mixed with the air prior to its introduction.

22. In a flotation process of ore concentra- WALTER A. SCOTT. 

